Fda Approves New Antibiotic

April 18, 2000

The government approved a vital new weapon in the battle against drug-resistant bacteria Tuesday, a drug called Zyvox described as the first entirely new type of antibiotic in 35 years. Zyvox can treat routine pneumonia and skin infections and some drug-resistant staph infections. But its chief fight will be against an infamous germ, called "Enterococcus faecium," often deadly to hospitalized patients and impervious to the antibiotic of last resort. Indeed, more and more germs are developing resistance to that longtime "silver bullet" antibiotic vancomycin, leaving doctors watching helplessly as their patients die from once-treatable infections. Zyvox, doctors hope, will help. In clinical trials of 145 patients with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus infections, Zyvox cured 67 percent, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday in approving Pharmacia Corp.'s Zyvox. Pharmacia said Zyvox would be available within a few weeks, but refused to disclose the price except to say it was expected to be a little lower than competitor Synercid.